Clock face projecting device



Nov. 16, 1954 1. MOULTRY EI'AL CLOCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE 3Sheeds-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1953 INVENTORJ [Jflfld -MOOLTRV BY 5.GILBERT ADA/45C I IYZQO/WVE) Nov. 16, 1954 l. MOULTRY ETAL 2,694,338

CLbCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE Filed Marbh 6, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORJ 15/716 MOULTRK y GILBERT ADA Nov. 16, 1954 l. MOULTRY ETAL CLOCKFACE PROJECTING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 6, 1953 IN V EN T0R5 United States Patent CLOCK FACE PROJECTING DEVICE Isaac Moultry, NewYork, and Gilbert Adamec, Bronx, N. Y.; said Adamec assignor to saidMoultry Application March 6, 1953, Serial No. 340,772

3 Claims. (Cl. 88-24) This invention relates to a clock face projectingdevice.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clock faceprojecting device wherein one lying in bed or remote from the device maycause by the pushing of a button the clock face to be projected upon awall or ceiling so that it can be read without difilculty.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clock face projectingdevice wherein the angle from which the clock face is projected from thedevice can be adjusted for projection to either one wall or an oppositewall or upon the ceiling by a mere turning of a part having a reflectingmirror and lens.

It is another object of the invention to provide a clock face projectingdevice wherein the mirror and the lens part can be angled and theposition selected by the person using the clock by operation of acontrol button and wherein the position of the mirror and lens part willbe indicated by a musical note.

Other objects of the invention are to provide'a clock face projectingdevice which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, hasa minimum number of parts, is easy to install and adjust, of pleasingappearance, compact, and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clock face projecting deviceconstructed according to one form of the invention and illustrating themanner in which the clock face is projected upon a wall, the device ofthis form of the invention being powered by batteries;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the device looking upon theclock dial but with the mirror and lens part being detached therefrom;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device according to amodified form of construction and wherein the device serves as a supportfor a lamp attachment;

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the light circuit;

Fig. 7 is a perspective and collective view of the lamp bulb assembly onthe side of the clock casing;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the lamp bulb socket taken online 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form ofthe invention wherein the clock is electrically operated and wherein theadjustment is propelled by the clock motor to locate the mirror and lenson opposite walls or upon the ceiling;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view looking upon the drivegear arrangement for the adjustment of the mirror and lens part;

Fig. 11 is a iring diagram for the form of the invention shown in Fig.9;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the musical notestrikers;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the drivinggear of the clock mechanism.

Referring now to the figures, 15 represents a hollow box having a bottomslide cover 16 with a notch 17 therein. Within the box there aredisposed batteries 18 and 19 which are connected in series with one anther, Fig. 6, by a contact strip 21. A contact strip 22 extends from thebattery 18 to the top of the box by a nut 24. The contact strip 22 isfixed to the terminal 23 by a nut 25, Fig. 3. Extending upwardly fromterminal 23 is a support strip 26 that carries on its upper end a socket27 for a lamp bulb 28. A washer 29 is fixed between the socket 27 andthe support strip 26. The socket 27 has a shank 30 which is peened at 31to fix the socket 27 to the support 26. The lower end of the support 26is fixed in a slot 32 of the terminal 23 by a rivet 33. The socket 27has a flange 34 that is curved to conform to a clock shell 35. The lampbulb extends through a hole 36 in the shell and into the socket 27. Thelamp bulb 28 lies within the shell 35. The bottom of the clock shell issupported on a resilient and compressible pad 37 lying on the top of thebox 15.

Another terminal strip or contact 38 connects with a terminal 39. Theterminal 39 is secured to the top of the box by a nut 40 and the contactstrip 38 is secured to the terminal by a nut 41. A supporting member 42extends upwardly from the terminal 39 and has a socket 43 connected tothe upper end thereof in the same manner that the socket 27 is connectedto the upper end of the support 26. A lamp bulb 44 is fitted into thesocket 43. A curved flange 45 is seated against the clock shell 35. Thetwo sockets 27 and 43 are grounded through the clock shell 35.

Extending from the box is a cable cord 46 having wires 47 and 48therein. These wires are connected with a switch 50 lying in a handleknob 51. The switch 50 includes a press button 52 which when pressedwill bridge contacts 53 and 54 to close the circuit through thebatteries 18 and 19 and lamp bulb 28 and 44. The battery 19 has apositive terminal 19' with which a contact 55 engages. The contact 55 iscarried on the inner side of the box and connects with cable cord wire47.

The clock shell 35 contains a clock mechanism 56 which can be wound by aturn knob 57 and can be set by set knob 58. A drive shaft arrangement 59has clock hands 60 and 61 connected thereto to be operated, and thesebands extend in front of a transparent dial 62 carried on a ring 63which is fixed to the inner surface of the clock shell 35, and forwardlyof the lamp bulbs 28 and 44. Spaced from the dial is a ring 64 carriedon bolts 65 circumferentially spaced from one another.

The shell 35 is open at its forward end and has tightly fitted therein abox-like shell 66 having a diagonally extending mirror 67 on to whichthe numerals and clock hands are projected and directed through anopening 68 on the shell 66 and about which extends a cylindrical shell69 that carries a lens 70 fixed to the outer end of the shell by athreaded ring 71 adjustable from wi hin the shell 69.

The shell 66 has a circular flange 72 that fits into the end of shell 35to permit rotation of the box-like shell 66 relative thereto. Thebox-like shell 66 c ntaining the mirror and the lens 70 can be adjustedto direct the dial face and the hands either to one side of the room orto the other side of the room, as shown in Fig. 1, or in a verticaldirection and upon the ceiling as shown in Fig. 2. The box-like shell 66is removed and turned in the direction to which the lens 70 is to pointand is then fitted again into the end of the clock shell 35. The handleknob 51 can be extended over a bed 73, as shown in Fig. 1, while theclock reading device can be positioned on a night table 74 located nearthe bed.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a modified arrangement wherein a box-like shell75 has a lens device 76 on one side thereof and an upwardly extendingcircular flange 77 to which a sleeve support 78 is attached. The upperend of this sleeve support has a lamp socket 79 and a sh de supportingframe 80 attached thereto. A lamp bulb 81 is disposed in the socket 79.A shade 82 has an upper frame 83 which is attached to the upper end ofvertical supporting frame 80 to a bolt projectlon 84 thereof to which anut 85 is secured. Cable Wires 86 and 87 extend downwardly from thesocket 79, through the bottom of the box-like shell 75 and into the box15. A switch 89 is provided on the side of the box .15 which can beoperated to turn on the lamp bulb 81.

The cable wires 86 and 87 can be connected to the batteries lying withinthe box in a similar manner to which the lamp bulbs 28 and 44 areconnected to the batteries. In this arrangement the dial and hands willbe projected on to a side wall, as shown in Fig. 1. It will also be seenthat this same device can be used as a lamp and can be independentlyturned on by operating switch 89. Thus, the device can serve as a nightlamp in which the light from the batteries is sufiicient.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 9 to 13, in which there is shown amodified form of the invention. According to this form of the invention,the clock is electrically operated and power is taken from the clock tocause the rotation of the mirror and lens unit so that the user of thedevice can cause from the bed the adjustment of the mirror and lens unitto direct the dial face and hands in any direction at the option orselection of the user. A base 91 has a bottom support 92 rested thereonand secured thereto by screws 93. Ex-

tending upwardly from the bottom support 92 is a vertical support 94having a shaft 95 fixed thereto by a set screw 96 and extending to oneside thereof whereby to pivotally support a drive gear 97.

A bearing 90 is provided on the support 94 and rotatably supports ashaft 99 to which a large bevel gear 100 is fixed. This shaft also has asmall gear 101 adapted to engage with the drive gear 97. The shaft 99extends through a solenoid 102 that is carried on a bracket portion 103of the support 94. A bearing portion 104 extends upwardly from thebottom support 92 to support the other end of the shaft 99. Shaft 99 isslidable in the bearings 98 and 104. Shaft 99 has an enlargement 105adapted to be attracted by the solenoid 103 so that upon the solenoid102 being energized the shifting movement of the large gear 100 can beeffected so that it t can engage with a small gear 106 of an electricclock 107.

Surrounding the bottom support 92 and extending over the verticalsupport 94 is a casing 108 having a top 109 on which the clock device107 is fixed by a bracket 110. The large gear 100 extends through a slot111 in the top 109 of the casing 103 and through a slot 112 in thebottom of the clock device 107 for engagement with the gear'106 thereof.

The clock device 107 is electrically driven and contains gears 113 whichare connected to a shaft 114 on which are mounted hands 115 and 116lying in front of a dial face 117. Within the clock device 107 is a lampbulb 118 which can be lighted when desired to cause the light to bepassed through the transparent dial face 117 to project the same uponthe mirror 119 in a combined mirror and lens unit 120 mounted forrotation upon a reduced diameter end portion 121 of the clock 107. Aball bearing unit 122 surrounds the reduced diameter portion 121 and aconnecting member 123 is secured to the outer ball bearing and has teeth124 thereon which depend through a slot 125 in the top 109 of the casing108. This connecting member 123 is secured to a reduced and circularflange portion 125 of the unit 120.

The unit 120 has an upstanding circular flange 126 to which a lenssleeve 127 is attached. The upper end of this sleeve 127 is threaded asat 128 and is turned inwardly as indicated at 129 to support a lens 130which is made secure thereto by a retaining ring 131 threaded n upon thethreaded end 128 of the sleeve 127. The image of the dial face is thusprojected from the mirror through the lens.

Extending upwardly from the base support 92 is a boss 132 to which thereis pivoted a gear segment arm 133 having an elongated slot 134 thereinin which works a roller pin 135 fixed to the drive gear 97. This pin 135will serve as a crank as the gear 97 is rotated by the engagement ofgear 100 with the gear 106 of the clock device 106 so that a gearsegment 136 is oscillated or reciprocated back and forth. The gearsegment 136 has engagement with gear teeth 124 of the mirror and lensunit 120 so that as the gear segment 136 is reciprocated, the mirror andlens unit will be oscillated between angled pos1t1ons so that the imagecan be projected on one wall, opposite wall or upon the ceiling.

A musical spring 140 is fixed by screws 141 to a vertically extendingprojection 142 of the base support 92. This musical spring 140 has threefingers 143, 144 and 145, all of different length to give av differentpitch note.

The gear segment 136 has an arm 146 with a finger 147- thereon adaptedto engage the finger 144 to give one indication of the position of thecombined mirror and lens unit 120. This musical note is to indicate theposition of the unit when it extends in a vertical direction as shown inFig. 9 to project the dial face upon the ceiling.

Angularly spaced upon the segment 136 from the finger 147 areprojections 148 and 149, respectively lying on opposite sides of theprojection 146. The projection 148 has a ratchet finger 150 adapted toengage with the musical finger 143 but which upon the return movement ofthe segment 136 will ride over the end of the finger 143. On the ratchetprojection 149 is a ratchet finger 151 adapted to engage the musicalfinger 145 and upon the return movement of the segment will ride overthe finger 145. Accordingly, as the different sounds of the musicalfingers, the position of the lens and mirror unit can be determined.

A supply cable 153 extends through a flexible sleeve 154 and the holdermember 155. On the end of the cable 153 is a plug 156 having prongs 157and 158 adapted to fit the openings in a wall receptacle whereby tosupply electric current to the electric clock device. This same cable153 may through the holder provide electric current for the operation ofthe solenoid 102. An electric cable 159 extends from the holder 155 andhas a handle knob 160 on the free end thereof. A press button 161operates a switch 162 in the handle knob 160. This same handle knob hasan operating lever 163 which is pivoted between contacts164 and 165 toclose a lamp circuit, Fig. 11.

In Fig. 11, 166 represents the clock motor and this motor is connectedacross supply wires 167 and 168 to have continuous rotation. Solenoid102 is connected to a supply wire 168 and to a switch contact 169 in thehandle knob 160. A wire 171 is connected to a switch contact 172 and asupply wire 167. Upon the solenoid circuit being closed, the gear 100 isput into mesh with the gear 106- of the clock motor. This is effectedmerely by pushing the button 161. The button is held until the mirrorand lens unit reach the desired position, as indicated by the musicalnotes of the musical spring 140.

It will be noted that with the clock device of both forms of theinvention being provided with a light source, the dial face and thehands thereof can be projected upon either wall or upon the ceiling of aroom. It will also be apparent that the switch button for operating thisdevice can be operated in a bed and the time will quickly and easily bemade known to the occupant of the bed by simply pressing the switchbutton. It will also be apparent that there has been provided two formsof the invention, one in which the light source is provided by abattery, and the clock motor is operated by its spring, and the otherwherein the clock motor is of the electric type and supplied with sourcecurrent from a wall receptacle and wherein the combined mirror and lensunit can be adjusted by power from the clock motor and the adjustmenteffected from the same hand knob which can be rotated in the bed andremote from the clock device.

While various changes maybe made in the detail construction, it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

l. A clock face projecting device comprising a base having an upwardlyextending casing thereon. a clock shell mounted on said casing, saidclock shell having a driving mechanism and a dial face on the frontthereof, electric lamp means in said clock shell, switch button meansextending from said casing to a remote location and having wiresconnected on said casing, a combined mirror and lens means mounted onsaid clock shell for rotation to project the clock face on differentareas of the room and selective gear means connected to said mirror andlens unit to effect rotation thereof and control means operable toselectively engage the driving gear means with the operating mechanismof the clock shell at times when it is desired to rotate and adjust thecombined mirror and lens unit thereof, and sound indicating meansassociated with said gear operating means for the adjustment of themirror and lens unit to indicate the relative position of the mirror andlens unit with respect to the clock shell and the projection of theclock dial face upon the walls and ceiling of a room.

2. A clock face projecting device comprising a base, a bottom support onsaid base having upstanding portions, a casing extending over said baseand over the upstanding portions and axially adjustable shaftsjournalled on two of said portions, an electric solenoid operable uponsaid shaft to axially adjust the same, a gear mounted on said shaft andextending upwardly through the top of said casing, a reciprocatingmember having gear teeth thereon and pivotally connected to another ofsaid upstanding portions of said bottom support and having its gearteeth accessible through the top of the casing, gear crank meansconnected to one of the portions and operable upon said reciprocatingmember to cause its reciprocation, a clock shell mounted on the top ofthe casing, said clock shell having an operating mechanism with adriving gear, said gear on said shaft extending through the top of saidshell extending into said clock shell and releasably engageable with theoperating gear of the clock operating mechanism, said clock shell havinga transparent dial face therein, said operating mechanism in the clockshell having hands operable over the dial face, a combined mirror andlens unit rotatably mounted upon said clock shell and having a gearformation engageable with the gear of the reciprocating gear segment tobe adjusted by the same, lamp means in said clock shell, an electricsolenoid on one of said upstanding projections of the bottom support andoperable upon said shaft having upon the gear of the clock operatingmechanism electric switch means having cable wires extending to saidelectric solenoid and said lamp bulb means to effect the operation ofthe same and electric source means connected with said switch, electricsolenoid and lamp bulb, whereby said mirror and lens unit can beadjusted by remote switch means to locate the projected dial face upon aparticular wall of the room at the will of the user of the device.

3. A clock face projecting device, as defined in claim 2, and a musicalspring connected to another upstanding portion of a bottom support andhaving spring fingers of different lengths, said reciprocating gearsegment having finger arms with fingers thereon adapted to respectivelyengage the fingers of the musical spring and said finger arms beingangularly positioned relative to each other on said reciprocating gearsegment, whereby the different musical notes will be imparted for thedifferent positions of the mirror and lens unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS lumber Name Date 740,433 Hirth Oct. 6, 1903 778,891 Rausch Jan. 3, 1905813,836 Smith Feb. 27, 1906 1,032,160 Schenck et a1 July 9, 19121,137,512 Miller Apr. 27, 1915 1,153,110 Jenkins Sept. 7, 1915 1,292,005Minor Jan. 21, 1919 1,992,776 Schindler Feb. 26, 1935 2,201,376 PrinsMay 21, 1940 2,351,238 Teuber June 13, 1944 2,486,425 Loewe Nov. 1, 1949

